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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 8:1-8

In these verses we have a prophecy of the successes of the king of Assyria against Damascus, Samaria, and Judah, that the two former should be laid waste by him, and the last greatly frightened. Here we have, I. Orders given to the prophet to write this prophecy, and publish it to be seen and read of all men, and to leave it upon record, that when the thing came to pass they might know that God had sent him; for that was one end of prophecy, John 14:29. He must take a great roll, which would... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:1

Moreover the Lord said unto me ,.... This is another prophecy, confirming the same thing that was promised in the preceding chapter Isaiah 7:1 ; namely, safety to the Jews from the two kings of Syria and Israel, which combined against them: take thee a great roll ; or volume, a writing book, a roll of parchment, in which form the ancients used to write, Psalm 40:7 . The Targum renders it, a "table"; a writing table, such an one as Zacharias called for, Luke 1:63 and this was to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:2

And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record ,.... Not his marriage, nor the birth of his son, nor the name he gave him, but the prophecy written in the roll, concerning the spoiling of Syria and Israel, in a very short time; that so, when it came to pass, it might be a clear and certain point that it had been foretold by him: Uriah the priest ; of whom mention is made in 2 Kings 16:10 which some object to, because he proved a wicked man, and obeyed the king's command, contrary to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:3

And I went unto the prophetess ,.... His wife, so called; not because she prophesied, but because she was the wife of a prophet; and besides, the birth of her son later mentioned, and his name, had in them the nature of a prophecy. The phrase of going unto her is an euphemism, a modest way of expressing the conjugal debt: and she conceived and bare a son ; which Jarchi would have the same with Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14 but this is a later prophecy, and a distinct one from that; and not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:4

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, my father, and my mother ,.... Which are commonly the first words children learn to say; and so it signifies that what follows should happen in a year or two; as it did: the riches of Damascus, and the spoil of Samaria, shall be taken away before the king of Assyria ; or, "he shall take away the riches" F17 ישא את חיל "asportabit, opulentiam----servus regis Assyriae", Junius & Tremellius "auferet opes----is qui stet coram... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:5

The Lord spake also unto me again ,.... In the same prophecy, or in another; the Targum is, "the Word of the Lord added to speak with me again;' but rather Jehovah the Father, or the Spirit of the Lord, is meant, since the Person speaking is distinguished from Immanuel, Isaiah 8:8 , saying ; as follows: read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:6

Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah, that go softly ,.... The same with Siloam, John 9:7 and so it is called in the Septuagint version here; and the word here used signifies "sent", as it is there interpreted. Jarchi says it is a fountain, whose name was Gihon and Shiloah; see 1 Kings 1:33 concerning which Jerom yet writes, "Siloam is a fountain at the foot of Mount Sion, which does not send forth water continually, but on certain times and days; and comes through... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:7

Now therefore the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many ,.... Alluding to the river Euphrates, which ran by Babylon, which was a large river, full of water, and had a rapid torrent, and so is opposed to Shiloah and its waters; and these waters are explained as follows: even the king of Assyria, and all his glory ; his army, which was his glory, in which he gloried, and by which he got himself honour and glory. It is usual for mighty kings, kingdoms, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:1

Take thee a great roll "Take unto thee a large mirror" - The word גליון gillayon is not regularly formed from גלל galal , to roll, but from גלה galah , as פדיון pidyon from פדה padah , כליון killayon from כלה , calah , נקיון nikkayon from נקה nakah , עליון elyon from עלה alah , etc., the י yod supplying the place of the radical ה he . גלה galah signifies to show, to reveal; properly, as Schroederus says, (De Vestitu Mulier. Hebr. p.... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:4

For before the child - For my father and my mother, one MS. and the Vulgate have his father and his mother. The prophecy was accordingly accomplished within three years; when Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, went up against Damascus and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin, and also took the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and carried them captive to Assyria, 2 Kings 15:29 ; 2 Kings 16:9 ; 1 Chronicles 5:26 . read more

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